Iffy was waiting on the street corner for Sam as he came out of school. He waved the cigarette packet in offering, but Sam shook his head. "Me Mam says they're bad for you."

"Your Mam!" snapped Iffy, "It's always your bloody Mam!"

"Sorry, Iffy," said Vimes in a hurt voice and Iffy subsided a bit. In the years since the day on the back of the tomato cart Iffy had grown tall, and handsome in a vague kind of way. Vimes was still shorter than Iffy, although he was starting to get the gangly look of most young men of a certain age. Iffy had a scrubby moustache and a bit of a beard, whereas Sam's chin was still smooth. But the most visible difference was the way they walked. Vimes was hesitant and his face was mild and smiling, whereas Iffy walked as if he owned the streets and his face was set in a sullen scowl, jaw clamped around the smoking cigarette. Vimes trailed after him like a useless shadow.

"Where're we going, Iffy?" he asked after a while.

"Why do'y wanna know?"

Vimes hesitated. 'Because me Mam worries if I'm back late' was not, he judged, a good thing to say at this point. "Just wondering."

"We're going to meet Spider. Well, I am, and you're going to sit outside and wait for me like the good boy you are and then we're going to see... someone else."

"Oh," said Sam, his mind racing. Spider was the leader of street gang that Iffy and Sam were nominally members of. Well, Sam was occasionally a member. Iffy was decidedly more involved with Spider's crowd nowadays and Sam buried whatever his real feelings about the gang were in order to keep his best friend happy.

They had reached wherever they had been heading for and Iffy stood in a shadowy doorway for a moment. "I won't be long," he said, "And then we can head onwards." It was the old Iffy speaking for a moment before the tight-faced stranger took control again and Sam Vimes smiled and nodded.

"Okay," he said, sitting on the doorstep. "I'll be right here."

Iffy nodded and went inside. Vimes waited for a few moments and then dropped his carefully blank and bemused face and put his ear to the door. He might play simple Vimesy quite a lot of the time but he wasn't entirely stupid. He knew that this meeting was about the forthcoming battle for supremacy between two of the street gangs in the Shades; Spider's gang and the Skats. As one of Spider's lieutenants Iffy was obviously discussing which members of the gang were going to be present in the decisive battle.

"Who've we got?" Spider growled. Iffy read the list of names. "We need at least one more," hissed the gang leader and Iffy thought for a moment

"There's the Spatchcock twins," he said.

Spider growled. "They're useless!"

"There's always Vimesy," said Iffy. Outside Vimes stiffened.

"Which one's he?"said Spider.

"The skinny kid that follows me around."

"Can he fight?"

"Yes. He's surprisingly good at it. And he's too simple to do anything much except what he's told."

Vimes reeled as if he'd been slapped. This was Iffy talking, his best mate, his blood brother, Iffy. He pressed his ear back to the wood trying to swallow down the feelings of shock and hurt.

"You trust him?" Spider asked.

"He's a friend."

"Then we'll have him on board. Now, you know where and when?"

Vimes stopped listening, heart still aching from Iffy's early remark. The door opened and Iffy stepped outside into the cool air.

"Coming Vimesy?" he said smiling.

"Yeah," said Vimes and his depressed air got through to Iffy.

"Hey, what's up man?"

"Nothing," said Vimes quickly. "Where are we going now?"

"To meet the others," said Iffy.

Vimes stopped suddenly and span his friend against the wall. "I know you think I'm simple Vimesy," he said roughly, "And maybe I am, but I'm not /stupid/. I know that you are using the street fight to try and stage a take over from Spider. It's bloody obvious. Who've you got on side? And when were you planning on telling me this?"

Iffy stared in shock at his friend. It was one of the longest speeches Sam Vimes had ever made in one go and he blinked at him. "I was going to tell you now," he said, "Wonse devised the plan of using the fight to get rid of Spider. He's good at plans. As for who I've got on side... well, nearly everyone. And we can take out those we haven't."

"You trusted Wonse?" said Vimes incredulously.

"Yeah, he's a clever kid."

"Try cunning," said Vimes in a voice as hard and cold as steel. He sighed. "What are you going to do about Spider? Kill him in the melee? Then what'll you do?"

"I'm not gonna kill him!" said Iffy, "Just get rid of him. And then I'll be gang leader. King of the streets." There was a note of pride in his voice that shocked Sam to the core. "Hey. We're here," said Iffy, putting out his hand to stop Sam Vimes from walking on.

Iffy pushed open a door and Vimes stepped inside. It was a tiny room, perhaps even smaller than his mother's front room at home. There were now ten boys crammed in the small space, Big Dave, Bigger Dave, Fiver, Nigel, Tony, Other Sam, Jackson, Iffy, Vimesy.and Lupine Wonse. The traditional packet of ciggies was offered around and this time Vimes took one and lit it. Iffy nodded to the smallest boy. "Carry on, Wonse."

"Right," said Wonse, "Bigger Dave and Iffy, you will have to take down Spider. The rest of us are going to ambush the Skats. We can leap out of the alleys and sweep round them in a classic pincer movement."

Vimes stared at the other teenagers. Wonse, in his hand-me-down trousers and patched shirt, could hardly be more than ten. His young face was shining with excitement. Normally a kid like Wonse would have discovered round about now what the traditional gang activity was when bored, which was to idly set upon the youngest member. But the older boys were watching him now with rapt attention, listening to his plan. Vimes could hardly believe it. But then, Wonse was a known intellect. He went to a real school where they learnt languages, tactics and history, rather than just getting the thorough grounding that Vimes received in the three 'Rs.

"No weapons," said Iffy sharply, "We've agreed. Just fists and feet."

"Yeah, and knees and teeth and all the rest," said Other Sam and the boys laughed.

"Yeah," agreed Iffy, "That's about right. Well... you know where and when. I guess you can have the night off, lads. Get prepared." Iffy performed a sort of complicated salute, which was half-heartedly returned by the other boys. It dawned on them they were truly free to go and they wandered away in pairs.

Vimes stood stock still for a moment. "This is absolutely bloody mad."

Iffy laughed. "Not scared about the fight are you Vimesy?"

"No!" snapped Vimes and he strode out onto the street.

"Hey! Wait up Sam!" shouted Iffy but Sam Vimes was already gone, striding away down the street.

People often said Sam Vimes was stupid, mostly because when asked his opinion about anything he tended to reply 'well... me Mam says..." and didn't often have an opinion on anything that his mother didn't. But people often didn't realise that simple didn't mean stupid. Nearly twenty years in the future people would still be making the same mistake with Carrot, with unpleasant consequences. Sam Vimes, despite a friendly smile underneath his scruffy mop of brown hair was just as street wise as the rest of them, perhaps more so and he was better than good in a street fight. He stormed into his front room and his mother looked up from her sewing.

"Whatever's the matter Sam?" she said.

There was a bag of rags on the table and Sam picked it up easily. He had an evening job delivering the rags to a factory in Nap Hill. "Nothing."

His mother smiled a little sadly. "Can you sort your own tea tonight?"

Sam met her eyes and knew what she was really saying. "Yeah, that's fine," he said, knowing tonight he would go hungry. He hurried out into the streets once more.



It was tomorrow and all through his lessons Sam Vimes had been wishing that time would slow down, or maybe stop. Now the final bell had been rung and everyone else was hurrying away from the place of learning in joy. Vimes dragged his feet and walked as slowly as he could towards the gate. Iffy was waiting for him, the cigarette butts around his feet testament to his nervousness.

"Hey," he said shortly, "Are you ready for tonight?"

Vimes said nothing as they walked away. He'd spent all day rehearsing this conversation and now he was here he couldn't remember any of the things he'd planned to say. They paced in silence and had almost reached the agreed meeting point when Vimes noticed that Iffy was fiddling with something in his pocket.

"What've you got in your pocket?" Vimes asked.

"Nothing," said Iffy with a quick smile, withdrawing his hand. But Vimes was sure it was the kind of 'nothing' he had said to his mother last night.

Something snapped and Vimes turned on his friend, spinning so fast that Iffy was helpless to stop Vimes from grabbing his hand and squeezing it so hard that his fingers uncurled in pain. Vimes bent and retrieved what it was that had fallen with a clatter to the floor. It was a switchblade. Iffy met his eyes unwillingly and quailed at the expression on Sam Vimes's face.

"You're going to stab him," said Vimes, his voice low and quiet and for the first time in his life Iffy felt scared of the younger man. "You're going to stab Spider aren't you?"

"No!" shouted Iffy, his nervousness betrayed by his sudden shout, "I just wanted to be sure... If me and Bigger Dave can't overpower him."

"There's two of you! You said no weapons!"

Iffy realised he was backing away from someone who was at least four inches shorter and a good deal skinnier. He tried to reassert his position. "C'mon Sam. It'll be worth it, whatever happens. We'll be... y'know, top of the pile. People'll respect us. We'll be the boss of the streets-"

Iffy never got time to finish because at this point Vimes leapt on him with a cry, knocking him flat on the floor. "We!" Vimes shouted, "We! You, y'mean! Gods Iffy, what's happened to you? What does it matter? Why do you need to be 'the boss?' Who's gonna care? There'll still be no food on the table, too much tax to pay and too many kids playing in the filth on the damn streets no matter which one of us says he rules 'em!"

Iffy spat blood onto the street and said in the coldest voice he could manage. "You're just a kid Sam, you don't understand what it's like... you never come with us at night. When we're on the streets at one in the morning... and no one'll come near us, 'cos they respect us-umph!"

Vimes had turned his friend over and forced his face down onto the floor. He stood up with his foot on Iffy's back, not letting him up however much he struggled, well aware that in Iffy's attempts to breath were meaning his mouth was being filled with the muck on the floor.

"You want the streets, Iffy? This is the streets! Taste the bloody streets!"

He released the pressure and let Iffy breath. "You're supposed to be my friend!" yelled the floored boy.

"I /am/ your friend, you stupid bugger!" Vimes roared back, "I'm telling you that you're changing, changing into something foul and horrible and narrow-minded and I'm telling you to stop. Call this thing off about Spider tonight; just leave it, Iffy! We can go back to how it used to be, me and you and a couple of the others just hanging about. Not robbing shops and bullying frightened old ladies. That's all you do at night with the rest of them."

For a moment it looked as if Iffy might agree but then whatever spark of remembrance that had been briefly kindled died in his eyes and he pulled himself together.

"Get lost Sam Vimes," he said, standing up, "Just go away."

Vimes held eye contact for a moment and then turned on his heel and stalked off. Iffy watched him go trying to bury his doubt. Big Dave stepped out from where he had been lurking. "Are we still on Iffy?"

"Yeah, we're still on Dave. But Vimesy's sitting this one out."



Vimes came to a halt a few streets later and collapsed against a wall feeling as if someone had replaced his insides with lead. Something clinked in his pocket against the brick work. Iffy's knife. He pulled it out, tossed upwards. It spun three times in the air before he caught it. He started back again, best to give it back now...

The fight had already started judging from the noise. Vimes peered around a street corner. The Skats outnumbered Spider's lads two to one. Spider was down already, by Iffy's hand or someone else Vimes didn't know; and as he saw one of the Skats draw his knife and start towards Iffy Vimes realised he didn't care. He stepped into the alley and ran towards them.

Vimes kicked the boy with the knife hard and he dropped it. He bought his fist round and smacked Iffy's assailant hard in the stomach. Turning, he ducked under someone else's wild swing and came up underneath with a jab to their chin. They fell backwards into someone else. Next to Vimes Big Dave had pushed someone to the floor. Iffy was bleeding heavily from a cut above his eye and his one arm hung at a strange angle.

"Come on, Iffy. Let's go," said Vimes and helped him away down a side street. He walked Iffy all the way home, supporting him as his legs trembled and knocking on the door to summon his mother.

"Oh my goodness!" said Mrs. Scurrick, "Whatever happened?"

"We got caught in a fight, Mrs. Scurrick," said Vimes, "Can I come in?"

He lead Iffy over to a chair while his mother rummaged for bandages and ointment. "You're right Sam," muttered Iffy in a low voice, so his mother didn't hear, "You're right. When they came down the street and I looked at 'em, at the Skats, I realised that you're right. I don't want to be like that... it's not worth it. They're just thugs, really, aren't they? I couldn't see... until one of them knifed Spider... and then I realised..." Iffy was crying now, and Vimes's conscience said that he should be sympathetic but something rebelled.

"You owe me one," Vimes said, nodded to Mrs. Scurrick, and walked away.



It was a few weeks later and Vimes was surprised by Iffy as he came out of school again.

"Hello," he said carefully.

"Alright Vimesy," said Iffy, equally as gingerly. Vimes looked at him more carefully and blinked in shock.

"You've joined the Watch?" he said.

"Yeah," Iffy said, slightly shamefacedly, "I thought about what you said, and I thought it was a good idea... you know.. I'd be able to keep the streets safer. From people like the Skats. And you get free food and a uniform and you can pick up an extra dollar here and there."

"That's great."

"Maybe you should join when you leave school. When do you leave, by the way?" said Iffy.

"A month," said Vimes.

"Well, there you go then. We could go for a drink..." There was an invitation hanging in the air and Vimes thought for a few moments.

"Yeah, alright," he said, "Not just at the moment, Iffy, but some time soon. We can catch up on all the news. Just like old times."

"Great," said Iffy, his face clearing and his stiff shoulders relaxing, revealing just how anxious he had been. He glanced at his watch. "I'd better go, got to get on duty," he said with a hint of a grin. "See you around Sam."

"Yeah, see you Iffy."